1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a device for reading magnetic stripe cards and/or smart cards, in particular EC (electronic cash) cards and credit cards, which comprises a slot for feeding magnetic stripe card and/or smart cards in a feed direction, a fed magnetic stripe card and/or smart card being arranged in a feeding plane during feeding. Further, the invention relates to a method for preventing skimming attacks, in which a magnetic stripe card and/or smart card is fed to a device for reading magnetic stripe cards and/or smart cards, the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card being arranged in a feeding plane during feeding.
2. Discussion
In automated teller machines, POS systems, payment terminals and other devices in which magnetic stripe cards and/or smart cards, for example EC cards, credit cards or bank cards, are inserted for payment or withdrawal of cash, there is the problem that people attempt, with intent to defraud, to unauthorizedly read out the data stored on the cards and to spy out data associated with the card to thus be able to withdraw cash by means of these data in an unauthorized manner. Such attempts to spy out the data are referred to as skimming attacks.
Numerous methods are known by which one attempts to detect skimming modules that are arranged outside in front of the feeding slot for the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card. For example, the corresponding areas are monitored by means of cameras, and changes in the structure are detected.
To prevent this, recently more and more very small miniature skimming modules are inserted into the same slot into which the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card is inserted. These modules are designed such that they can read out the data of the cards, while these cards are accepted normally within the device for reading magnetic stripe card and/or smart cards.
From the document DE 10 2006 049 204 B2, it is known to insert EC cards into an automated teller machine with their longer longitudinal side first and thus transversely to the reading direction of the magnetic stripe card. In this way, it shall be prevented that skimming modules mounted on the outside of the automated teller machine can read out data when the card is drawn in. The direction of movement of the card is then changed in the automated teller machine so that now it is transported with its short side first and the magnetic stripe card can be read out during this transport via a stationary reading head.